by LT Faith Tabatsko, USN

On Friday, January 9th, 2004, LCDR Edward Robledo,
Engineer of USS Maryland (SSBN-738)(B)
found himself speaking in front of a large audience. Though this
in itself is nothing unusual for a submarine officer of his seniority,
he was hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, and only about 10
of the audience of over 500 people were in the Navy. Instead of his
normal speaking engagements — holding quarters, briefing his
department on a refit plan, or conducting EOOW/EWS training, LCDR
Robledo was addressing attendees of the Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers (SHPE) Annual Technical Conference, where he had just been
presented with the Most Promising Engineer Award, recognizing not
only his significant past accomplishments, but also his tremendous
potential for future success.

LCDR Robledo candidly addressed the audience about his experiences
as a submarine officer and what the Navy has taught him. The audience
included Hispanic industry and government leaders, as well as students
from a variety of colleges and universities working hard to earn
their degrees in science and engineering. From senior executives
to young college students, the attendees were uniformly impressed
with LCDR Robledo’s message and expressed their pride in
his service to our nation. Some of these students may even aspire
to follow in his footsteps as a naval officer. This is but one
example of a number of awards received by submarine officers in
the past several years, in acknowledgement for their hard work
and status as role models across a variety of different communities.

Some of the organizations that have recognized submarine officers
for exceptional academics, strong leadership, uncompromising integrity,
and commitment to their country and their service include not only
the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), but also
the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC),
the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Chinese Institute
of Engineers (CIE) USA, and National Engineers Week. Submarine
Force leadership is committed to recognizing its top performers
in forums such as these at every opportunity.

In recent years, the Submarine Force has enjoyed significant success
in steadily increasing its diversity. This is a direct result of
the foresight, initiative, and tenacity of many within our ranks
who reach out to identify highly–qualified individuals, and
show them what is possible as a submariner. One such opportunity
was LCDR Robledo’s experience last January, which afforded
him the opportunity to influence a future generation of prospective
submariners.

Another facet of increasing the community’s diversity has
been the focus on mentoring. Submarine Force mentors work to instill
the belief that each individual in the Submarine Force is valued
and limited only by his own desires and abilities. Our mentors’ hands-on
efforts and personal attention have been cited by many across the
Navy as a model for other warfare communities.

The Submarine Force, like the Navy writ large, is dedicated to
increasing the diversity of its ranks, as well as affording each
individual the opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential.
By reaching out to organizations promoting diversity, the community
can tap the potential of highly qualified men of all backgrounds.
Much of our strength is derived through our differences, which
lend the diversity knowledge and experience that make us a more
capable Force.

In another ceremony LCDR Eduardo Fernandez
(left), executive officer of USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730) poses
with his wife, Karen, and RDML Patrick Dunne, President of the Naval
Postgraduate School. LCDR Fernandez was the winner of the Hispanic
Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation award for Military
Excellence – Professional Achievement.